يَقولونَ ذِبِّب يا زِيادُ وَلَم يَكُن

لِيوقِظَ في الحَربِ المُلِمَّةِ نائِما

They say Ziyad was asleep in the raging battle,

Had they brought him in wrath, he'd prevent them, or a glorious knight, or unyielding.

وَلَو أَنَّهُم جاءَوا بِهِ ذا حَفيظَةٍ

فَيَمنَعُهُم أَو ماجِداً أَو مُراغِما

But they brought a fool whose seventy years had passed,

Who wakes every morn debased and despicable.

وَلكِنَّهُم جاءوا بِأَقلَفَ قَد مَضَت

لَهُ حِجَجٌ سَبعونَ يُصبحُ رازِما

His tongue foreign, if he came near, he cared not for honor.

I never found Abdel Qais except worthless

لَئيماً ذَميماً اِعجَمِيّاً لِسانُهُ

إِذا نالَ دَنّا لَم يُبالِ المَكارِما

When people recall the exalted and the glorious.

If you're the slave's neighbor, don't cease to beware of him

وَما خِلتُ عَبدَ القَيسِ إِلّا نُفايَةً

إِذا ذَكَرَ الناسُ العُلا وَالعَظائِما

When he's fed. A people counting nets for their neighbor

When sated with the rulers' dirhams.

إِذا كُنتَ لِلعَبدِيِّ جاراً فَلا تَزَل

عَلى حَذَرٍ مِنهُ إِذا كانَ طاعِما

With nets they pay the rights upon them

And give their lord when he is in debt.

أُناساً يُعِدُّونَ الفُساءَ لِجارِهِم

إِذا شَبِعوا عِندَ الجُباةِ الدَراهِما

They have a bray, and if they respond to each other

You hear in them a roar and madness.

مِنَ الفَسوِ يَقضونَ الحُقوقَ عَلَيهِمُ

وَيُعطونَ مَولاهُم إِذا كانَ غارِما

By your life, Ibn Zarwan did not save

Rabi'ah from me the day he was unharmed.

لَهُم زَجَلٌ فيهِ إِذا ما تَجاوَبوا

سَمِعتَ زَفيراً فيهِمُ وَهَماهِما

I reckon the wicked son of two wicked men thought

I would surrender my honor or fear confrontation.

لَعُمرُكَ ما نَجّى اِبنَ زَروانَ إِذ عَوى

رَبيعَةَ مِنّي يَومَ ذلِكَ سالِما

By your life, Rabi'ah does not bow to pilgrims

When they implore the aid of foreigners.

أَظَنَّ الخَبيثُ اِبنُ الخَبيثَينِ أَنَّني

أُسَلِّمُ عِرضي أَو أَهابُ المُقاوِما

لَعُمرُكَ لا تَهدي رَبيعَةُ لِلحِجا

إِذا جَعَلوا يَستَنصِرونَ الأَعاجِما